A Celebration Of Success

17 December, 2012

To mark nine years of Aviva 'On Camp with Kelly', a special event named A Celebration of Success took place on Saturday 15 December at The Gibson Hall, London with over 160 guests hosted by Dame Kelly and Sybil Ruscoe.

Amongst the guests were international athletes past and present including Liz Yelling, Diane Modahl, Zara Hyde Peters, Alison Wyeth, Marilyn Okoro and Tim Hutchings, over 30 members of 'On Camp with Kelly', tutors and camp supervisors, parents and coaches. The event was the perfect opportunity to look back and celebrate the highlights of each year since the programme began in 2004 with special entertainment from Britain's Got Talent Star drummer Kieran Gaffney, young dance group The Movement Factory and singing from Marilyn Okoro.

The 2012 'On Camp with Kelly' Athlete of the Year Award went to Non Stanford, ITU World Under 23 Champion. The Outstanding Achievement Awards went to Hannah England and Laura Weightman for becoming the first two athletes to be selected for an Olympic Games. Their respective coaches Malcolm Brown (Non Stanford), Steve Cram (Laura Weightman) and Bud Baldaro (Hannah England) were honoured with the Coach Achievement Awards. Four athletes received Excellent Achievement Awards: Jess Coulson, Mitch Goose, Charlotte Purdue and Jen Walsh.

The original aims for 'On Camp with Kelly' have certainly been exceeded with over 80 athletes supported throughout the unique programme, achieving 22 international medals at Commonwealth Games, European and World Championships. Inspirational education camps have taking place in South Africa, Australia, India, Spain, Portugal and Germany and 23 Get-Together and education days including talks from Lord Seb Coe and Dame Kelly's former coach Margo Jennings.

Dame Kelly Holmes said:

"It was a fantastic night on Saturday and really brought home to me how far the programme has come since early 2004. My personal goals for the programme brought to life by Aviva's financial backing, have definitely been surpassed with a great team behind me. It was the January prior to the Athens Olympic Games that I started thinking about how I could pass on my knowledge and experience to eight young athletes, by taking them to train in South Africa at the end of the year.

"It has been a brilliant and very rewarding journey working with so many talented athletes. The youngest athlete on my first camp in South Africa Non Stanford recently took the ITU World Under 23 Championship title in Auckland, which was a terrific achievement and I was so proud to watch two athletes from 'On Camp with Kelly' compete at London 2012."